10 detained with Tk37 lakh goods while smuggling near Saint Martin’s

The Coast Guard has detained 10 people and seized daily essentials worth about Tk37 lakh from a trawler while they were smuggling through the Bay of Bengal near Saint Martin's in Teknaf, Cox's Bazar.

The goods were being smuggled to Myanmar in exchange for drugs, including yaba and liquor, according to a press release.

Lieutenant Commander Siam-Ul-Haq, media officer of the Coast Guard Headquarters, today (20 September) said the detainees included both Bangladeshi and Rohingya citizens, though their names and identities could not yet be provided.

According to him, the Coast Guard received a tip-off around midnight yesterday (19 September) that an organised group was smuggling drugs from Myanmar in exchange for Bangladeshi goods.

Acting on the information, a team conducted a raid in the sea near Chhera Dwip, Saint Martin's.

When the smugglers were ordered to stop their fishing trawler, they tried to flee by speeding away. The trawler was later seized after a chase.

"Ten smugglers on the trawler were arrested. After searching the vessel, 10,000 kg of pulses, 150,000 mosquito coils, 2,500 kg of garlic, 1,000 kg of monosodium glutamate (MSG), 10,000 bottles of energy drinks, and 2,500 kg of onions were recovered," Siam-Ul-Haq said.

He added that the items were being smuggled to Myanmar by evading customs duty and taxes, with an estimated value of Tk37.70 lakh.

The seized goods and the trawler have been handed over to Teknaf Police Station, and a case has been filed under the relevant law.